D.C. Among Three Finalists to Host 2022 Gay Games

WASHINGTON — The field has narrowed again and Washington, D.C. made the second to last cut to host the 2022 Gay Games, a weeklong sporting event bigger than the Olympic Games.

The Federation of Gay Games announced earlier this week that D.C. would be considered alongside Guadalajara, Mexico, and Hong Kong, in a decision that will be made in October.

The Gay Games have been held every four years dating back to 1982, and are open to all athletes regardless of sexual orientation, which is still a source of persecution and worse in some parts of the world.

There are no qualifiers, which means that the event regularly outdraws the Olympic games in terms of athletes (12,000 to 15,000) and between 80,000 and 100,000 spectators. to the host city, with an economic impact of more than $100 million, according to Gay Games Washington, D.C. 2022.

According to the host committee, there is an anticipated economic impact of $100 million, and will not require the type of construction associated with Olympiads. If D.C. is selected, Mayor Muriel Bowser has pledged $2 million to the renovation and preparation efforts.

According to D.C. host committee member Brent Minor, excitement is high, and the next step will be site visits from the Federation in May.

The planning committee has also made the proposed D.C. United Stadium at Buzzard Point a focal point of the bid: this would be the site of the Gay Games Opening Ceremony. The stadium is scheduled to be ready for use by the team in 2018.

The D.C. Armory and Walter Washington Convention Center are also expected to be major hubs in the proposal, along with the university facilities at the Kettler Iceplex, University of Maryland, George Washington University and Gallaudet University.

The D.C. bid includes honorary chairs Paul Tagliabue, former NFL Commissioner, and Billie Jean King, a tennis legend and outspoken advocate for women’s equality and the LBGTQ community. On the political spectrum, it includes former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, and the pledged support of Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.